In Time
by The Emmanator
Summary: A collection of oneshots spanning the nineteen years in between the Battle at Hogwarts and the epilogue of DH. All characters, all pairings, all situations.
1. Story 1: Coming and Going

A/N: The first in a random little collection. Taking place maybe a day or two after the Battle of Hogwarts.

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In Time

Story 1: Coming and Going

* * *

He was in fact, a coward, and had always been one. He didn't like the term 'coward' though. He was…well, prudent. He saved his own ass and didn't bother with anyone else's.

He was passed out on a park bench. Running out on the battle was stupid enough, but he hadn't even gone home. He was lying on a park bench overlooking a vast expanse of tombstones and grave markers.

"I figured you'd be here."

His eyes snapped open. He smirked a little.

"I can see up your skirt." She huffed. He pushed himself into a sitting position, pushing his blond bangs out of his eyes.

"You're so out of order," she hissed, sitting down.

He turned to her, studying her carefully. She was beautiful. Of course that's the first thing anyone noticed. But she was also stubborn, stuck-up, intelligent, quirky, caring, funny, sarcastic and talented.

But he didn't care about any of that.

She was beautiful.

"You left."

He nodded. "I never signed up to die for Harry Potter, you know."

She smiled. "I know…I was just worried about you."

"I tried to get you to leave."

"I wanted to fight."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I never said anything against it."

"Yes you did!"

Realization dawned and he grinned. "Yeah."

"That's nothing to smirk about, Zach!" she said, her voice rising. "If I remember correctly, your exact words were 'you're so stubborn, you suicidal lunatic'."

"And that hurt your feelings, why?" he asked.

"Because…" she faltered for a second.

"You care what I think?"

"No, I don't!" she said.

"Padma. Quit being stupid. You do."

"Why should I? You _left! _I could've died and you walked out like it was no big deal!"

_More like ran out like my arse was on fire…_he thought bitterly.

"But you know what makes all the difference?" he asked, his face lighting up with an epiphany that was both brilliant and utterly terrifying.

"What?" she said, standing up, her long braid swing behind her, arms folded over her chest.

"You came back."

Padma groaned in defeat and fell back onto the bench, hiding her face in her hands as she burst out laughing at the sheer irony of everything.


	2. Story 2: Teddy's Fifth Birthday

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In Time

Story 2: Teddy's Fifth Birthday

* * *

Theodore Remus Lupin bounced on his heals, staring out of the window of the small cottage he shared with his grandmother, Andromeda Tonks. His hair was black for the occasion.

"Where are they?" he yelped bouncing furiously, staring out the window.

"Be patient, Teddy," Andromeda said, smiling a little to herself. "They'll all be here soon."

Teddy wasn't satisfied. He stayed by the window until finally there was a knock at the door.

"We're early right?" someone said from the door when Andromeda opened it.

"Just a little."

Harry Potter smiled as he walked in, his godson launching himself at him at once.

"Hi Harry!" he said, a grin exploding over his face.

"Hey Teddy," he said, kneeling down and ruffling the messy black hair. "Happy Birthday kid!"

"I'm not a kid!" Teddy protested, sticking out his lower lip. He painfully reminded Harry of Tonks protesting the use of her first name.

"Well then you're too old for presents," Ronald Weasley said, pushing inside, carrying several large parcels.

"You're never too old for presents, Ron!" Teddy yelped, looking positively alarmed.

Ginny thumped Ron on the shoulder and Hermione just tried not to smile. "Don't scare him Ron," his sister reprimanded.

"It was just a joke," Ron said, depositing the stack of gifts on a table.

Within half an hour the table was full of presents and the kitchen was full of noise. The adults had a table to themselves and the three young children had a smaller table where they were laughing and throwing food at the adults.

"Percy's really sorry he couldn't come."

"It's not problem Penny," Bill said with a diplomatic wave of the hand before Ron or George could come back with a less polite retort.

"He's just busy," Penny added as she nimbly dodge a piece of cake.

"Nice dodge."

"I've had practice," Penny said, rolling her eyes.

In the corner, the three youngsters were laughing shrilly and talking animatedly. "Victoire don't be mad!" Teddy whined.

"You hit me with cake!" Victoire Weasley sniffled. "It got in my_hair," _she added pointing to the glob of white in her fiery hair.

Teddy leaned over and tried desperately to wipe it out. "I didn't mean to!"

"Let me get zat for you, cheri," Fleur Weasley said, kneeling down and tapping the clump of white with her wand. It instantly disappeared.

"Merci, maman," Victoire said as her mother kissed her on the cheek and walked back to the table.

"I'm sorry, Victoire," Teddy said, sticking out his lower lip a little.

Victoire giggled a little and, in retaliation, stuck a rather large glob of icing on Teddy's nose. "It's _your _cake."

"Happy Birthday, kid," Harry said, chuckling to himself as he saw the predicament.

Then the two younger girls let out a simultaneous battle-cry and tackled Teddy, smearing cake all over him.

"He's popular with the ladies," Harry told Ginny. She rolled her eyes.

* * *


	3. Story 3: Encounter

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In Time

Story 3: Encounter

* * *

Harry Potter stepped into the lift, Kingsley had asked to see him and that meant leaving his comfy cubicle and heading up towards this Minister's office.

But he wasn't alone in the lift. He studied the other person and recognized him after a few seconds. Sleek blond hair and upturned nose.

Zacharias Smith.

He cleared his throat and Zacharias looked up from his memo. He nodded. "Potter."

"Smith," he acknowledged.

"Aren't you a few floors down?" Zacharias asked, his eyes studying the lift uncomfortably.

"The Minister needed a word with me," Harry said. "What floor are you on?"

Zacharias pointed up.

"Oh yeah. I heard you got promoted."

He nodded. "Last week. You and Weasley have made big names for yourselves in all of the departments. You two and Shacklebolt are the 'best thing that's ever happened to the Ministry'."

"And you don't agree with that, right?" Harry asked, rolling his eyes.

Zacharias laughed. "I have no reason to disagree," he said. "For once."

Harry smiled a little. "Well you'll figure something out to criticize sooner or later."

The blond brandished the _Prophet_. "You still make the front page."

_INTERNATIONAL HERO PROPOSES TO STAR CHASER OF THE HOLYHEAD HARPIES._

"Rita Skeeter?" Harry asked carelessly.

"Think so," he replied.

"How'd they hear about that?"

"…You shouted it across a Quidditch stadium in the middle of the World Cup. How wouldn't they hear about it?"

"Well it felt appropriate at the time."


	4. Story 4: Who's Your Daddy?

This is entirely ridiculous.

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Who's Your Daddy?

* * *

Blaise Zabini was having an identity crisis.

Not just a little "oh I don't know who I am wah" identity crisis. A full-blown crisis.

And it was his mother's fault.

"Who_is _my father exactly?" he asked her crossly one day. "Is it the Zabini bloke like you say?"

Truthfully, he was the only child after nearly ten marriages, so he must've been an accident. That was his theory at least. The fact that he looked too much like his mother to distinguish a paternal link was even harder to determine if his father was who his mother said he was.

She faltered.

"It's only one of two people."

"Well then _who?" _

The Zabini bloke was dead, he knew that much. But the other possible father was a mystery as everyone his mother slept with ended up dead.

"There was this one time, about…how old are you now?"

"Nineteen, Mum."

"Right. Nineteen years ago. So about 1980. With this bloke. Before I started getting married. About a week before I met Mr. Zabini. He was fantastic."

Blaise covered his ears.

"Alright. Alright. The point is that this bloke could very well be your father."

"And his name is…?"

She bit her lip in thought for a moment. "Kingsley Shacklebolt."

"…You mean…the Minister of Magic?"

"Well he wasn't when I slept with him."

"MUM."

Blaise paced his room for several hours, stopping to admire himself in a full-length mirror once or twice. If the Minister of Magic was actually his father, he'd have to make the best of it.

* * *


End file.
